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Helpdesk Report

Higher education, developmental leadership and good governance

Dr Giuditta Fontana

University of Birmingham

23 August 2017

Question

What impact has higher education had on developmental leadership and on good governance?

Contents

1. Overview

2. Links between higher education, developmental leadership and good governance

3. The formal curriculum

4. Extracurricular activities

5. Nurturing positive values

6. Expanding opportunities and networks

7. New challenges and evidence gaps

8. Evidence gaps

9. References

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1. Overview

The last decade has witnessed renewed interest in the social benefits of higher education, with

recent research suggesting that universities have a role in nurturing developmental leaders who

enable positive change and better governance in low-income and conflict-affected countries

(Brannelly et al, 2011b). This review summarises available evidence on the relationship between

higher education, developmental leadership and good governance in developing and conflict-

affected countries. It draws on examples from a variety of countries, including Ghana, the

Philippines, Oman, Lebanon, Cote d’Ivoire and Botswana among others. Most of the literature

considered in this report is academic. A large proportion was produced by the Developmental

Leadership Programme (DLP) based at the University of Birmingham, which is currently in the

process of publishing a summary report (Schweisfurth, forthcoming b).

The existing literature suggests first that there is no established causal pathway connecting

higher education, developmental leadership and good governance. Recent studies have found a

general pattern of positive correlation between levels of enrolment in higher education and

indicators of good governance, but debates continue as to:

the ability of individual leaders and developmental coalitions to affect change in the

presence of powerful structural constraints to reform;

the extent to which education alters individual values and socio-political participation vis-

a-vis other factors, like family, religion, peer group and socio-economic background;

the impact of higher education independent of other factors. Case studies of Ghana and

the Philippines produced by the DLP, for example, show convincingly that the

contribution of higher education to developmental leadership is also a function of

secondary and primary education.

Second, the relationships among higher education, developmental leadership and good

governance are highly complex and context-specific. The evidence is sparse and anecdotal, but

it appears that some kinds of higher education promote developmental leadership, while others

hinder the emergence of dynamic leaders committed to development. Universities foster

developmental leadership when:

they operate according to principles of meritocracy and inclusion;

they teach a broad and comprehensive curriculum through interactive and student-

focused pedagogies. Most developmental leaders hold degrees in the arts, humanities

and social sciences. This calls into question the recent emphasis on supporting science,

technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects;

they promote opportunities for leadership training and practice through extracurricular

activities (such as community work, political science societies, student councils and

student newspapers);

they provide role models and a new social environment and peer group. Mentorship and

shared living experiences are helpful in this sense;

they model an environment of good governance in their leadership and governance

structures;

they encourage the creation of heterogeneous networks by encouraging social, religious,

ethnic and economic mixing as well as providing scholarships to study abroad. To avoid

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fostering predatory and extractive networks, universities should inject a strong value base

and emphasise inclusivity.

Unfortunately, the studies examined suggest that higher education most often entrenches rather

than erodes existing patterns of power and inequality, hampering the emergence of

transformative and developmental leaders. For example, students from elite socio-economic

backgrounds are more likely to access and succeed at elite universities whilst others are

permanently excluded (as people with disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa). Similarly, universities’

governance structures do not model democratic practice due to low transparency, authoritarian

management and political appointments, and the leadership of universities is not reflective of the

diversity of gender, nationality, ethnicity, ability and language of the student body.

The evidence reviewed in this report made limited reference to gender in the context of higher

education, development leadership and good governance.

2. Links between higher education, developmental leadership and good governance

Since the late 1980s, most domestic and international investment (as well as research effort) has

focused on the promotion of quality and accessible primary and secondary education for all.1

This followed the assumptions that the rates of economic return for primary and secondary

education were much higher than those for higher education; that primary schooling was

instrumental to social equity; and that investments in higher education would contribute to the

brain drain affecting developing countries (Brannelly et al, 2011b).

However, recent research has emphasised that ‘whilst higher education by itself may not be a

sufficient pre-condition for democratic processes and improved governance, evidence does

indicate that it is a contributory factor’ (Brannelly et al, 2011b: 9). Many political, business and

civic leaders in developing countries attend university. For example, a study of 11 African

countries found that most of the randomly selected sample of Members of Parliaments held an

undergraduate degree or higher (59%). This is 15 to 80 times higher than the average education

level in their countries (Mattes and Luescher-Mamashela, 2012: 48). Most universities also

implicitly or explicitly aim to develop the next generation of leaders (Brannelly et al, 2011).

According to a forthcoming report, developmental leaders have higher levels of education than

their counterparts (Schweisfurth, forthcoming b). Thus, emerging research suggests that

universities have a role in improving the quality of developmental leadership (Mattes and

Luescher-Mamashela, 2012; expert comment Heather Marquette).

Quoting the World Bank, Brannelly et al (2011b: 10) define developmental leadership as ‘a

political process that… involves the capacity to mobilise people (including, but not only,

followers) and resources and to forge coalitions with other leaders and organisations, within and

across the public and private sectors, to promote appropriate local institutional arrangements that

enhance sustainable economic growth, political stability and social inclusion.’ Studies suggest

that developmental leaders have five main qualities: vision; affiliation; resilience; struggle;

1 See for example UNESCO’s Education for All Movement

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-all

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emotions; knowledge, imagination and skills; integrity; confidence (Jones et al., 2014; Brannelly

et al, 2011).

Recent research suggests that developmental leadership may have a role in enhancing good

governance, meant as a tangible, policy-driven improvement in citizen voice and accountability;

the rule of law; regulatory quality; political stability and the absence of violence; government

effectiveness; and control of corruption (Brannelly et al, 2011b; Heather Marquette). Brannelly et

al. (2011b) identified a general pattern of positive correlation between levels of enrolment in

higher education and indicators of good governance (Table I). The positive correlation is

particularly strong in East Asia and the Pacific, whilst Central and Eastern Europe bucks the

trend. However, no robust causal pathway connecting higher education, developmental

leadership and good governance has been established (expert comment Heather Marquette) and

debate continues as to the ability of individual leaders and of developmental coalitions to effect

change in the presence of powerful structural constraints to reform (Schweisfurth et al., 2016;

expert comment Steve Hogg).

Table I: Correlations between tertiary gross enrolment ratio in 1988 and governance indicators in 2008

Voice and accountability

Political stability and absence of violence/ terrorism

Government effectiveness

Regulatory quality

Rule of law Control of corruption

World Positive

Correlation Positive

Correlation Positive

Correlation Positive

Correlation Positive

Correlation Positive

Correlation

Arab States

Positive Correlation

Weak Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Central Asia

Negative Correlation

Weak Negative

Correlation

Positive Correlation

Weak Positive

Correlation

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Central & Eastern Europe

Strong Negative

Correlation

Weak Negative

Correlation

Negative Correlation

Strong Negative

Correlation

Negative Correlation

Negative Correlation

East Asia & Pacific

Strong Positive

Correlation

Positive Correlation

Strong Positive

Correlation

Strong Positive

Correlation

Strong Positive

Correlation

Strong Positive

Correlation

Latin America & Caribbean

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

North America & W. Europe

Weak Positive Correlation

Weak Negative

Correlation

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Weak Positive

Correlation

South & West Asia

Negative Correlation

Strong Positive

Correlation

No Significant Correlation

Negative Correlation

Weak Negative

Correlation

No Significant Correlation

Sub-Saharan Africa

Weak Positive Correlation

Weak Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Positive Correlation

Source: Brannelly et al. (2011b, p.14)

The mechanisms by which higher education nurtures better developmental leadership and

contributes to good governance are highly complex and context-specific (Brannelly et al, 2011,

2011b, Schweisfurth et al., 2016). For example, Singapore’s sustained investment in a high-

quality, meritocratic tertiary education system deeply embedded in the local labour market has

contributed to improved governance indicators (Brannelly et al., 2011b). Similarly, the

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meritocratic and inclusive system of elite secondary and higher education in Ghana provided the

core skills, values and networks for the country’s recent development (Jones et al., 2014). Gift

and Krcmaric also suggest that leaders who attended university in the West are more likely to

promote democratic reform because of the democratic values and international networks they

acquired during their studies (Gift and Krcmaric, 2017).

Other studies portray higher education as hindering rather than encouraging the emergence of a

new and diverse developmental leadership contributing to good governance. Jordan’s expansion

of higher education paralleled a decline in several governance indicators (Brannelly et al.,

2011b). In the Philippines, the elitist education system (from primary school to university) poses

an important barrier to the emergence of developmental leaders (Schweisfurth et al., 2016). A

study of 11 African countries suggests that secondary education fosters democratic citizenship

and leadership, but that the impact of higher education is unclear (Mattes and Luescher-

Mamashela, 2012).

The literature suggests that equitable and accessible universities open to all sections of the

population may foster a developmental elite by nurturing both a small exclusive elite and a wider

middle class able to hold the executive elite to account (Brannelly et al, 2011b; expert comment

David Hudson; Schweisfurth et al., 2016). They would do so by:

Helping the emergence of leaders. In the Philippines, most developmental leaders

were found to come from outside the ranks of the traditional elite. They accessed elite

schools and universities because of governmental scholarships or family sacrifice

(Schweisfurth et al., 2016). In the more meritocratic education system of Ghana, the

high-quality Legon University and feeder schools fostered the social mobility and

integration of the future elite (Jones et al., 2014; expert comment David Hudson). Mattes

and Luescher-Mamashela (2012) also suggest that electors value educational

qualifications in their potential leaders across 11 African countries.

Helping the emergence of the leaders of traditionally marginalised or displaced

groups (Brannelly et al, 2011). This is important in post-conflict contexts, as in

Mindanao, where the participation of Muslims in politics and economics was deemed

crucial to a sustainable peace process (Schweisfurth et al., 2016). It is also relevant to

refugee populations. For example, Rasheed and Munoz (2016) propose including Syrian

refugees in higher education in the host country to bridge the divide between host and

refugee communities and empower individuals to promote development and peace in

post-conflict Syria. The ‘From Campus to Campus’ pilot project from the Institute of

International Education was a step in this direction, offering scholarships for Syrian

refugees to attend Middle Eastern universities (Barakat and Milton, 2015).

Helping the emergence of a skilled civil service and technocratic elite. In the case of

Oman, the high quality of secondary education was important to the civil service and

bureaucracy, which implemented transformative development under Sultan Qaboos’

leadership (Hunt and Phillips, 2017).

Helping the emergence of an educated middle class, able to hold governments to

account and pressing leaders to focus on positive developmental initiatives (expert

comment David Hudson, Brannelly et al, 2011). There is insufficient evidence on the

independent impact of higher education on democratic values, civic engagement and

socio-political participation. Some studies claim a correlation between education, civic

engagement, social participation, and positive and democratic citizenship among the

emerging middle class (Brannelly et al, 2011b). A study in 11 African countries suggests

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that university-educated students are more critical of their countries’ democratic

performance and more likely to lead secular organisations on and off campus (Mattes

and Luescher-Mamashela, 2012). Others suggest that the impact of formal education on

democratic attitudes and skills is curvilinear: it rises sharply until high school and then

levels off (Mattes and Luescher-Mamashela, 2012). A study of developmental leadership

in Ghana corroborates the latter perspective, suggesting that secondary education helps

form the ‘core developmental skills and values’ which are further developed in university

(Jones et al., 2014). More generally, Brannelly et al. (2011b) suggest that highly

educated individuals tend to rely less on state services and to apply less pressure on

governments, leading declining governance indicators.

Higher education may promote developmental leadership, but in some ways may also hinder the

emergence of dynamic leaders committed to development. Which specific aspects of education

affect the emergence of developmental leadership in low-income and conflict-affected countries?

The literature suggests that university education can contribute through four principal

mechanisms, discussed below (Brannelly et al, 2011; Schweisfurth et al., 2016):

Increasing knowledge through the formal curriculum

Extracurricular activities

Nurturing positive values

Expanding opportunities and networks

3. The formal curriculum

The existing evidence suggests that a ‘holistic and wide’ curriculum would benefit students and

encourage leadership development (Schweisfurth et al., 2016: 36; Jones et al., 2014). For

example, the meritocratic boarding schools of Somaliland, Mauritius and Ghana (Sheekh School,

Royal College and Achimota respectively) were instrumental to the training of the local

developmental elites due to their curriculum, emphasising leadership skills and critical thought

(Hunt and Phillips, 2017).

At the university level, it appears that the arts, humanities and social sciences provide a broader

educational experience more conducive to developing these qualities and skills because of their

teaching methods (with more discussion, interaction and time for social and extracurricular

activities) and because of their content (on governance mechanisms, constitutional principles,

and historical examples of leadership) (Brannelly et al, 2011; David Hudson). A study of African

heads of state confirms that the social sciences, economics and law were the most common

fields of study, particularly for leaders with legitimately elected mandates and those presiding

over periods of economic growth (Brannelly et al, 2011, Jones et al., 2014, expert comment

Steve Hogg). Other sources confirm that better educated MPs ‘seem to make much better sense

of the unique complexities of legislatures’ in African countries (Mattes and Luescher-Mamashela,

2012: 139). Similarly, developmental leaders in the Philippines and in Ghana reported that they

gained important technical skills during university (Schweisfurth et al., 2016; Jones et al, 2014;

David Hudson).

This suggests a potential clash between the economic and governance functions of higher

education. On the one hand, current investment in science, technology, engineering and

mathematics (STEM) subjects helps economic development and a knowledge economy. On the

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other hand, the humanities and social sciences are more conducive to training transformative

leaders who work for development (Jones et al., 2014; expert comment Heather Marquette).

It also suggests that universities can encourage leadership attitudes and skills through interactive

and student-focused pedagogies (such as discussion, group work and inquiry-based learning),

and opportunities for putting leadership skills in practice across different disciplines (Brannelly et

al, 2011). These can range from leadership training to students involved in student societies, to

the reformulation of existing programmes towards problem-based learning approaches, to the

implementation of peace education curricula (Brannelly et al, 2011; Omeje, 2015). However,

these approaches are rare in the higher education institutions of developing countries. A recent

study of the Philippines concluded that the technical knowledge and expertise gained in

university were vital to accessing high-level governmental positions and suggested that learning

occurred ‘despite’ the technical and hierarchical teaching environment, and largely thanks to

extracurricular activities (Schweisfurth et al., 2016).

4. Extracurricular activities

Studies suggest that informal experiences are paramount in shaping students’ values, opinions

and attitudes, perhaps because of the weakness of the formal educational curriculum (Brannelly

et al, 2011). In the Philippines, developmental leaders suggested that leadership development

was an outcome of extracurricular activities (Schweisfurth et al., 2016). Community work, political

science societies, student councils and student newspapers exposed them to different faiths,

ethnicities, ideologies and perspectives and taught them to respect diversity. In these fora, future

leaders trained their political and leadership skills, and discussed and tested different theoretical

and historical approaches to development and reform (Schweisfurth et al., 2016; expert comment

David Hudson).

Extracurricular activities may also provide opportunities to translate values and opinions into

collective action. Studies suggest that adolescents who engage in civic activity are more likely to

remain engaged into adulthood (Brannelly et al, 2011). Moreover, student movements have a

history of influencing wider democratic change, as with the Otpor! movement in Serbia, and the

Orange revolution in Ukraine (Brannelly et al, 2011). Not all student movements are progressive,

however. For example, the Bideshi Khedao Movement, born out of the All Assam Student’s

Union in India, was central to several years of xenophobic and nativistic violence (Baruah, 1999).

5. Nurturing positive values

There is a persisting debate over the extent to which higher education alters values, with other

factors like religion, gender and socio-economic background often more influential (Schweisfurth

et al., 2016). However, a study of 11 African countries reports that MPs holding a higher

education degree were more likely to adopt more institutionalist and less partisan orientations, as

well as to support the legislative arm of government over the executive (Mattes and Luescher-

Mamashela, 2012).

When education affects the values of future leaders, it does so both directly through new

knowledge (see above), and indirectly by modelling values. There exists a growing body of

literature on education’s contribution to socialising children and adolescents into fundamentalist,

extremist and violent ideologies (Davies, 2008). Conversely, the literature suggests that higher

education can model positive values and good governance by:

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Providing role models through mentorship programs. Beyond nurturing leadership

skills, a small study in Nigeria suggests that mentoring and contact with professors

outside the formal teaching time improve the moral reasoning of undergraduate students

(Rose, 2012). However, the enrolment boom is undermining opportunities for mentoring

in most universities (Brannelly et al, 2011).

Promoting shared living experiences. Recent research on secondary boarding schools

in Ghana suggest that their Christian ethos provided a strong moral purpose, but that

values of public service and national unity were largely realised through a shared living

and studying experience (Jones et al., 2014). As will be seen below, shared living may

help undermine existing ethnic, linguistic and socio-economic cleavages and promote

inclusion and integration of the future elite (expert comment Steve Hogg).

Socialising future leaders. Gift and Krcmaric (2017) suggest that leaders who studied

in the West are more likely to promote democratic reform because the very experience

of living in the West socialises them in a democratic outlook. The exposure to free

speech, free media and different opinions are key in this respect.

As United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan put it, universities can ‘serve as a model

environment for the practice of good governance, conflict resolution and respect for

human rights’ (Brannelly et al, 2011b: 11). For example, they can model democratic practice in

their governance structure, provide opportunities for student involvement, and select a leadership

reflecting wider social diversity.

Unfortunately, most universities reflect the governance patterns of wider society. Thus, their

governance structure does not model democratic practice due to low transparency and

meritocracy, frequent authoritarian management, political appointments, and outdated legislative

frameworks (Brannelly et al, 2011; Brannelly et al, 2011b). In addition, the leadership of

universities is not reflective of the diversity of gender, nationality, ethnicity, ability and language

of the student body (Brannelly et al, 2011). Finally, students are rarely involved in the

management and quality assurance mechanisms of universities in developing countries

(Brannelly et al, 2011).

6. Expanding opportunities and networks

The literature recognises that development requires collective action, negotiation and the

creation of alliances to initiate and sustain change. Brannelly and others argue that as a

consequence ‘coalitions and networks are an essential component of development leadership’

(Brannelly et al, 2011; expert comment Steve Hogg). Recent studies suggest that higher

education is instrumental to the creation of resilient networks, which may facilitate or hinder

development depending on their nature and wider context. How does higher education contribute

to the creation of resilient elite networks?

The experience of higher education can uproot people from their familiar contexts and provide an

opportunity to mix with deeply different peers. This may foster bridging social capital and loosen

existing tribal, elite and ethnic loyalties (expert comment David Hudson; Schweisfurth et al.,

2016). The experience of common living in boarding schools and halls of residences appears key

to the development of mutual knowledge, respect and ultimate integration of students from a

variety of backgrounds (Jones et al., 2014). For example, in Ghana, both Rawlings’ Economic

Recovery Program team and the opposition coalition have roots in networks built in the 1970s at

Legon University. These provided coalitions with a long-standing value base and a history of

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collective and underground action (Jones et al, 2014). In the Philippines, university networks

were crucial to fostering bridging social capital that allowed developmental leaders to navigate

the elitist education system and ultimately gain broad-based support for their reforms

(Schweisfurth, forthcoming).

A joint experience of studying abroad may also help resilient developmental networks (expert

comment Heather Marquette). Networks built while holding scholarships and fellowships

overseas proved highly resilient and instrumental for the developmental elites of Botswana,

Yemen and Indonesia (expert comment Steve Hogg). Specifically, Gift and Krcmaric (2017)

propose that networks built while studying at Western institutions encourage developmental

leaders to democratise in two respects. First, strong international networks built while studying in

the West make these leaders more susceptible to pressures to democratise. Second, they

increase their ability to gain Western assistance for a democratisation project. For example, Cote

d’Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara mustered contacts at the University of Pennsylvania and

the International Monetary Fund to support his country’s democratic transition in the late 1990s.

Western-educated leaders also benefit from a perception that they are less corrupt, more

competent and more reliable. This facilitates aid flows, as demonstrated by the successful efforts

to attract support for democratisation in Georgia by Mikheil Saakashvili (a graduate of Columbia

Law School).

However, higher education may also disconnect potential leaders from their base. For example,

a study of 11 African countries finds that highly educated MPs are less likely to hold a leadership

position in their political party (Mattes and Luescher-Mamashela, 2012). Developmental leaders

in the Philippines and in Ghana also warn that prolonged periods abroad could erode national

identity and alienate potential leaders from their local networks (Schweisfurth et al., 2016; expert

comment David Hudson). To maximise the benefits of both overseas study and networking,

donors could consider clustering scholarships in some key universities, and providing additional

activities aiming at networking among scholarship-holders (Jones et al., 2014; expert comment

Steve Hogg).

In turn, the diverse and inclusive networks formed at university can shape future developmental

coalitions, particularly in small states where individuals graduate from few universities (Brannelly

et al, 2011). For example, many of the key decision-makers instrumental to post-independence

change in Mauritius and in Botswana were educated in the same secondary school (Brannelly et

al, 2011). They can also help developmental leaders gain cross-sectoral support for change in

ever-shifting coalitions, as in the Philippines (Schweisfurth et al., 2016).

Institutions that encourage wide social, religious, ethnic and economic mixing are particularly

successful in nurturing developmental rather than predatory elite networks (Schweisfurth et al.,

2016). A strong value base can also make the difference between fostering exploitative elites

and coalitions blocking change, and nurturing developmental networks (David Hudson;

Schweisfurth et al., 2016).

Unfortunately, the evidence suggests that universities are rarely ‘consciously inclusive’

(Schweisfurth et al., 2016). From Bourdieau’s seminal research on habitus in education, to more

recent analyses of education’s contribution to conflict and peace, the existing literature suggests

that higher education is likely to entrench rather than erode existing patterns of power and

inequality (Bourdieau and Passeron, 1990; Bush and Saltarelli, 2000) in three respects.

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First, universities may entrench socio-economic inequality. Students from elite

backgrounds are more likely to access and succeed at elite universities (Brannelly et al,

2011). For others, success depends on a mix of ‘talent, determination and opportunity’

more than on simple merit (Schweisfurth et al., 2016). Carnoy (2011) also suggests that

the increasing disparity in per capita pupil investment between elite and mass universities

leads to widening income inequality in developing countries, regardless of increasing

overall education levels.

Second, Kochung (2011) argues that people with disabilities are unable to access

higher education in most Sub-Saharan Africa due to social stigma, architectural

barriers, inflexible admission criteria, and financial obstacles.

Third, elite institutions create opportunities for cronyism and the entrenchment of

existing elites’ hold on power rather than the emergence of new developmental leaders

(Schweisfurth et al., 2016: 39).

Higher education can also encourage networks that foster bonding social capital among students

of a specific background. For example, the creation of regional universities in Nigeria and the

fragmentation of the Lebanese University and of Iraq’s universities into multiple branches

catering for a religiously uniform population have reinforced existing ethno-religious cleavages

(expert comment Steve Hogg; Fontana, 2017; Barakat and Milton, 2015). Similarly, the student

population of elite institutions tends to come disproportionately from elite backgrounds, and this

can hamper the emergence of a diverse developmental leadeship (Brannelly et al, 2011). This

undermines the transformative potential of university education and suggests that accessible,

inclusive quality education across public, private, elite and mass institutions is conducive to the

emergence of developmental leaders and coalitions (expert comment David Hudson).

7. Challenges and evidence gaps

Distance and online learning

The increasing availability of online modules and degrees may alter the ways in which higher

education nurtures developmental leadership (expert comment Heather Marquette). On the one

hand, massive open online courses may be employed to increase course offerings while also

relieving the enrolment pressure on higher education (Jones et al., 2014). On the other hand,

existing research suggests that extra-curricular activities, networking opportunities and a wider

research environment all contribute to the emergence of future leaders. Online education

detracts from this, and may diminish the potential of universities to nurture developmental elites.

Rising enrolments

Brannelly et al. highlight that throughout the world, higher education is becoming an increasingly

mass phenomenon (Brannelly et al, 2011b; Jones et al., 2014). The rapid increase in higher

education enrolment since 2000 is leading universities to expand rapidly, with ever-larger student

cohorts. This has worrying consequences:

It is leading to reduced contact time and diminishing mentoring opportunities (Brannelly

et al, 2011).

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Private universities are booming. In Lebanon, private universities account for up to 60%

of enrolments in higher education. However, weak quality assurance and accreditation

mechanisms can lead to poor quality at some profit-seeking institutions. This undermines

the contribution of higher education to the wider economy and society (Hasrouny, 2011).

More generally, the existing literature warns that even excellent private institutions are

less effective than their state counterparts in nurturing a developmental elite

(Schweisfurth, 2016).

Changing governance

Universities have undergone a dual process of globalisation and increasing autonomy. On the

one hand, they are encouraged to comply with internationally consistent standards and curricula.

On the other hand, there is a drive to greater legal autonomy and the formulation of individual

targets (Brannelly et al, 2011). This problematises policy design and implementation in the wider

higher education system.

Funding and sustainability

An effort from the donor community can help the whole education system, including higher

education, nurture developmental leadership in developing and conflict-affected countries. As

Table II shows, the proportion of donor investment in education dedicated to higher education

has increased from 13.4% of education spending in the late 1990s to 19.8% in the period 2005-

2009. The UK has allocated a smaller proportion of funding to higher education, focusing instead

on primary education and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (Brannelly,

2011b).

Table II: Average percentage of education aid spent on higher education, 1995-2009

1995-1999 2000-2004 2005-2009

All countries in OECD DAC CRS database

13.4% 17.0% 19.8%

DAC countries 17.4% 21.3% 25.0%

United Kingdom 2.3% 3.8% 3.3%

Source: Brannelly et al., (2011b, p.8)

8. Evidence gaps

The literature on higher education, developmental leadership and good governance is in its

infancy. The present review has uncovered important gaps in existing evidence and suggests

further research:

1. Is it possible to employ higher education to foster developmental leadership during active

conflicts? Different models have been suggested, including support to local universities,

the creation of universities in exile, and the ‘rescue’ of individual scholars, but no

systematic evaluation exists.

2. What is the role of vocational training and other forms of post-compulsory education in

developing countries facing a youth bulge?

3. What is the relative importance of secondary and tertiary education in developing values

and networks? A study of developmental leadership in Ghana suggests that secondary

12

education helps form the ‘core developmental skills and values’ which are further

developed in university (Jones et al., 2014). This should be further investigated in other

contexts.

4. What are the benefits and shortcomings of studying abroad, particularly when supported

by a scholarship?

5. Is there a conflict between the economic and leadership function of higher education?

Current investment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)

subjects helps economic development and a knowledge economy but the studies

examined here suggest that the humanities and social sciences are more formative for

developmental leaders.

9. References

Barakat, S. and Milton, S. (2015). Houses of Wisdom Matter. Brookings: Doha

https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/En-Higher-Ed-Web.pdf

Baruah, S. (1999). India Against itself. University of Pennsylvania Press.

Bourdieau, P. and Passeron, J-C (1990). Reproduction in Education, Society and Culture. Sage.

Brannelly, L., Lewis, L., Ndaruhutse, S., (2011). Learning and Leadership. Exploring the

Linkages Between Higher Education and Developmental Leadership.

http://publications.dlprog.org/Learning%20and%20Leadership.pdf

Brannelly, L., Lewis, L., Ndaruhutse, S., (2011b). Higher Education and the Formation of

Developmental Elites.

http://publications.dlprog.org/Higher%20education%20and%20the%20formation%20of%20devel

opmental%20elites.pdf

Bush, K., Saltarelli, D. (2000). The Two Faces of Education in Ethnic Conflict. Florence: UNICEF

Carnoy, M. (2011), As Higher Education Expands, is it Contributing to Greater Inequality?,

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Acknowledgements

We thank the following experts who voluntarily provided suggestions for relevant literature or

other advice to the author to support the preparation of this report. The content of the report

does not necessarily reflect the opinions of any of the experts consulted.

Professor David Hudson, University of Birmingham

Professor Heather Marquette, University of Birmingham

Dr Steve Hogg, Australian National University

Professor Michele Schweisfurth, University of Glasgow

14

Key websites

Developmental Leadership Program, http://www.dlprog.org/

Suggested citation

Fontana, G. (2017). The impact of higher education on developmental leadership and on good

governance. K4D Helpdesk Report. Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies.

About this report

This report is based on five days of desk-based research. The K4D research helpdesk provides rapid syntheses

of a selection of recent relevant literature and international expert thinking in response to specific questions

relating to international development. For any enquiries, contact helpdesk@k4d.info.

K4D services are provided by a consortium of leading organisations working in international development, led by

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Centre for International Health and Development, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), University of

Birmingham International Development Department (IDD) and the University of Manchester Humanitarian and

Conflict Response Institute (HCRI).

This report was prepared for the UK Government’s Department for International

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organisation. © DFID - Crown copyright 2017.